Computing devices, including desktop computers and laptop and notebook computers, are increasingly utilized for applications that are not limited to two-dimensional (2D) operation, but rather use three-dimensional (3D) space.
3D imagery and interaction in multiple possible forms, using the perception of humans of relative depth via a variety of mechanisms, including stereopsis, occlusion, linear perspective, and changing optical properties at distance, present an emerging frontier in personal computing. True three-dimensional movies, simulations, CAD (Computer Aided Design), and gaming are now within reach due to increases in processing power, improved display technologies, and more sophisticated software tools.
Computing device users are growing increasingly comfortable with the concept of working within a virtual world embodied by the computing interface. Users thus expect that the ease, precision, and depth of their interactions within the virtual world closely approximate that of the physical world.
However, computing systems such as laptop computers and other similar systems generally do not provide the user an effective means of providing 3D input. Conventional options may include multi-axis peripheral input devices, but such devices are ungainly and do not properly support sophisticated 3D applications.